Villagers from King's Cliffe near Peterborough argued that plans by Augean

to use the East Northamptonshire Resource Management Facility for storing waste from Harwell and other nuclear sites would pose a serious health risk.

But deputy judge Stewart QC on Thursday upheld the planning permission granted to Augean by Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for communities and local government.

Clare Langan, a local resident and a lead member in King's Cliffe Waste Watchers campaign group, said the villagers were still deciding over what to do next to protect their village, which is named in the Domesday Book.

"This is disappointing but not surprising. We will be consulting with our legal team regarding a possible appeal and also meeting in King's Cliffe and the surrounding communities to see how we may best take our campaign to halt the dumping of low-level waste at the site forwards from here."

Augean could be dumping materials within a month unless there is further legal action.

A spokeswoman for the firm, said: "The challenge [this week] was made on a narrow point of law and did not relate to the safety or the policy merits of the proposal."